In their ninth Spring Training game, the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to an extra-innings 4-4 tie. The bigger news however, was the report that signs point to Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu being the starters for the Opening Series in Australia. Prior to Thursday’s news, it was believed the Dodgers would keep Kershaw out of the two games as a means to prevent him from carrying too much of a workload in the first two weeks of the season.

With the way the schedule sets up, Kershaw could start the season opener on March 22, continental U.S. opener against the San Diego Padres on March 30 and lastly the Dodgers’ home opener against the San Francisco Giants on April 4. While Kershaw would get the normal five days rest between starts, it would be a strenuous three-game stretch for Kershaw. Zack Greinke’s right calf strain has likely influenced manager Don Mattingly’s thought process on how to handle Kershaw. If the left-hander starts in Australia, it remains to be seen if he will also start against the Padres and Giants.

About The Author

Matt is a journalist from Whittier, California. A Cal State Long Beach graduate, Matthew occasionally contributes to Lakers Nation, and previously served as the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Football. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mmoreno1015